Australian timber industry news

  Several Gippsland hardwood timber processors have vowed to continue operating despite being barred from access to the region’s native forest. Source: Philip Hopkins LaTrobe Valley Express The chief executive of the Victorian Forest Products Association, Deb Kerr, said the start of 2024 marked the end of harvesting wood fibre from Victoria’s public forests, but not the end of Victoria’s sustainable native hardwood industry. “The Victorian government’s decision last May created chaos with some businesses across the native hardwood supply chain being forced to either close permanently or diversify their business,” she said. “However, a small number of processors will continue processing the native timbers that consumers love, sourcing this wood from private sources in Victoria, from other states and from overseas. Hardwood timbers are highly valued by consumers where appearance or durability are important purchase considerations, be it stairs, decks, windows, furniture, or external applications.” In Gippsland, Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) at Heyfield began importing hardwood timber from the US some time ago as the state government began restricting hardwood supplies from Gippsland forests. ASH, which employs more than 200 people, is going to import more US hardwoods to make up some of the shortfall. Radial Timber in Yarram will go into ‘survival mode’, sourcing what local plantation timber it can get until its own plantations grow. The company, which has been growing its own plantation estate for 18 years, had been relying on timber from VicForests for another six years. The Radial mill will run at 25% capacity in the intervening six-year period. The white paper line at Opal’s Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley, which relied on native hardwood residues and woodchips, ceased production last year, throwing 150-200 people out of work, but the company will still require timber for its packaging production. Ms Kerr said she did not have full confirmation of how many mills had closed, but 11 mills in Victoria took compensation payments from the first round of exists before the May 2023 announcement that timber harvesting in native forests would close at the end of 2023. “Some of those closing have drying stocks of timber that will last between one-to-three years. The full effects won’t be realised until probably 2026,” she said. Ms Kerr said while the government had closed native forestry, Victoria’s forests still needed to be managed for the health and resilience of the forest. “The continued decline of Victoria’s native plants and animals is commensurate with the in-crease in the National Park estate – clearly this speaks volumes that the current management approaches do not work,” she said. “The Victorian government should use the start of this new era to radically change the way Victoria’s forests are managed for the next century – after all native forestry can no longer be blamed for the state of Victoria’s forest flora and fauna.” Ms Kerr said a recent CSIRO report showed that feral animals and invasive species were by far the biggest threat to forest fauna and flora. The report, conducted with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, found that at least 100 unique native species had become extinct since European settlement, with three quarters due wholly or partly to invasive species. These included mammals, frogs, birds, and lizards. “Dozens more species are at high risk of extinction in the next 20 years, including mammals, birds and reptiles threatened by cats and foxes … and plants by pathogens and feral herbivores,” the report said. From 1960 to 2017, invasive species cost Australia at least $390 billion, with the current annual cost conservatively estimated to be about $25 billion. “It has increased up to six-fold every decade. Weeds cost agriculture at least $5 billion a year,” the report said.  

Norske Skog is expanding its corporate management with VP Corporate Finance, Even Lund, and SVP General Counsel, Einar Blaauw. Tord Steinset Torvund (33) has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Source: Timberbiz Despite his young age, Mr Torvund has solid experience from various audit and finance positions both inside and outside Norske Skog. He is currently the finance director at Norske Skog Saugbrugs in Halden and was previously controller for the group’s operations. He is currently also the general manager of Saugbrugs Bioenergi AS, and a board member of the Norske Skog companies Cebina AS and Cebico AS. Before his employment at Norske Skog, Mr Torvund worked as an auditor at KPMG for five years with responsibility for large industrial clients. Mr Torvund has three master’s degrees respectively in financial economics from the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen (NHH), CEMS international management at NHH and St. Petersburg University, and in accounting and auditing (NHH). Even Lund (31) has been promoted to Vice President Corporate Finance and will now become part of corporate management. Mr Lund has worked as Investor Relations Manager at Norske Skog since 2020. Going forward, he will follow up group financing, business development and investor communication, and be part of corporate management. Mr Lund previously worked at ABG Sundal Collier and has a master’s degree in financial economics from Bergen School of Economics. Einar Blaauw (43) has been promoted to Senior Vice President General Counsel and will now become part of corporate management. Mr Blaauw was employed in the legal department in 2014 and has been the company’s head of legal since 2017. He has had key roles in connection with the group’s capital markets and financing transactions, restructuring and strategic projects. Through his position as board secretary, he has participated in corporate management and board meetings since 2014, and now becomes part of corporate management. Mr Blaauw has previously worked as a lawyer at Advokatfirmaet Thommessen, and for two periods at the international law firm Clifford Chance, in London and New York respectively. He has a master’s degree in law from the University of Bergen, and an attorney practising certificate.

Forget the Amazon; forget India’s forests with their living bridges; even forget the remote Malaysian rainforest with one of the world’s tallest trees. The world’s oldest forest is in Cairo. No, not Cairo the capital of Egypt – Cairo, the small town in upstate New York. Source: IFLScience At the bottom of a sandstone quarry in the small town of Cairo in New York state, researchers found a network of trees that they think may have once spread around 400 kilometres. The extensive network is thought to be 386 million years old, making it the oldest forest in the world. “You are walking through the roots of ancient trees,” Dr Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, told Science in 2019. “Standing on the quarry surface we can reconstruct the living forest around us in our imagination.” The forest was discovered in 2019, as researchers mapped over 3,000 square metres of the Devonian period forest in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley. They found that the forest was home to two types of trees: early fern-like plants called cladoxylopsids; and Archaeopteris, trees that had a woody trunk and flattened green leaves coming out from frond-like branches. Scientists also think they could have uncovered a third tree species in the area that would reproduce, like these others, using spores rather than seeds. “It is surprising to see plants which were previously thought to have had mutually exclusive habitat preferences growing together on the ancient Catskill delta,” said Dr Berry. The roots of the Archaeopteris trees were found in one area to be over 11 metres in length. These are some of the first examples of complex roots systems that grew as the plants grew, with many branching sections. Prior to this, plant roots were unbranched, and died off and were replaced as the plant grew larger, the authors explain in the paper. “This would have looked like a fairly open forest with small to moderate sized coniferous-looking trees with individual and clumped tree-fern like plants of possibly smaller size growing between them,” said Dr Berry. Many fish fossils were also recovered from the site, leading the team to believe that the once enormous forest could have been wiped out by flooding. The previously believed oldest forest was the Gilboa Forest, only about 40 kilometres away from the new record holder, but it is thought to be around two or three million years younger than the one found in Cairo. In 2016, a huge tropical fossil forest was discovered in Norway by the same team. The rise of larger trees with more complicated roots systems is thought to have also triggered a process called “weathering”, during which carbon dioxide is pulled from the atmosphere and eventually stored as limestone. With the drop in carbon dioxide levels, oxygen levels were able to increase, leading to larger animals and insects evolving within the ancient forests. “In order to really understand how trees began to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we need to understand the ecology and habitats of the very earliest forests, and their rooting systems,” said Dr Berry.

A new glasshouse that’s almost as big as two football pitches and capable of producing up to 19 million trees a year for planting out into the forests of the future, will soon be built at a nursery in Scotland. Source: Timberbiz Forestry & Land Scotland’s (FLS) Newton Nursery is set for a major modernisation in 2024 that will see the nursery provide more trees to support Scotland’s ambitious tree planting targets while also providing FLS with greater self-sufficiency. The new 12000m2 glasshouse near Elgin is a central part of the redevelopment that also includes new offices, a new distribution and operations centre. Growing trees from seed inside the glasshouse that are currently grown outdoors in fields, will allow FLS to have much better control over the growing environment, meaning the seedlings are less vulnerable to damage from extreme weather events and competition from weeds. Trials indicate germination rates could be improved by 60%, demonstrating a much more efficient use of valuable seeds. Energy and resource efficiency is core to the redevelopment: boreholes will supply water to irrigate the seedlings so there will no new demand on the mains water system, and low energy use technologies have been incorporated into the building design, while solar panels will supplement electricity use. The stock produced, mostly conifer species such as Lodge Pole Pine, Scots Pine, Sitka and Norway Spruce, is the backbone of Scotland’s forestry industry which adds £1 billion to the economy every year. The resulting wood products will help the UK reduce its reliance on imported timber, reducing pressure on vulnerable forests around the world. Once the redevelopment is complete, Newton could have up to 25 million trees in any one year, growing on site. Some will be newly planted and others will be more than a year old and ready to send to forests around Scotland. “This modernisation will allow us to continue developing new techniques for growing, planting and harvesting trees for forests now and in the future, to increase woodland cover and to help mitigate the impacts of climate change,” Alan Duncan, FLS’s Head of Plant & Seed Supply, said. The redevelopment and modernisation – made possible with financial support from Scottish Government – represents the biggest, single infrastructure investment ever by FLS. It should be complete by early 2025. The redevelopment will break ground in spring 2024, the first batch of seeds should be planted in early 2025.

The community grants program launched by OneFortyOne in July 2021 supports grassroot community organisations in New Zealand. Since its inception, OneFortyOne has been dedicated to the local communities that form the backbone of its operations. At the core of this commitment lies its Grants Program. Source: Timberbiz “Since we launched, we have supported 55 community projects in the region, contributing over NZ$145,000 in funding and building materials through the community grants programme,” communications manager Kylie Reeves said. “There are a lot of people doing amazing things in the community, but funding is a real challenge for community groups, and it’s only getting harder and harder. From a OneFortyOne perspective we try and make the applications as easy as possible, it’s an online process and we keep reporting requirements to a minimum. We believe that regional communities are exciting places to live and sometimes just need a funding boost to start something incredible.” Applications are assessed on a bi-monthly basis, giving consideration to objectives and impact. “This ensures the process is fair –but otherwise we leave it to applicants to let us know what they need most,” Ms Reeves said. The community of Rai Valley are recent recipients of a grant which enabled them to purchase an asset not only for the school but also to help build the community’s resilience to events such as the 2022 floods. Coordinator Tania Billingsley first became aware of the OneFortyOne Grants Program during that time. “We realised what the school needed to be able to provide a welfare centre for the local community when were cut off by natural disaster. The grant has enabled us to purchase two commercial portable ovens for the school that can be run off a generator. During an emergency we can now feed up to 200 people simply and easily from anywhere within our valley. They have also meant that during sports tournaments, and any other major community events, we now have the flexibility to easily feed a large group,” she said. Jimmy van Der Calk, the General Manager for Wanderers Sports Club added that it is important that when applying to ensure it is for something that aligns with your organisation’s strategy/purpose and One-FortyOne’s PINE objectives. If this alignment is not there the application will either be declined. As recipients, the grants have enabled the club to install a new basketball court at their base in Brightwater. “We had an underutilised court next to our clubrooms. It appeared old and run down and equipment was outdated so it was no surprise people weren’t using it. We wanted to turn it into a place our community would want to use. We pitched the idea of a basketball court to OneFortyOne and they saw the benefit and approved funding for the project,” Mr van Der Calk said. “The application process is very simple, but applicants should take the time to prepare supporting documents such as project costings and a cover letter ex-plaining why the project is important and what the benefits will be. “The majority of non-profits will find the application process simple when compared to typical grant funding.”  

After more than 10 years of research, a new biocontrol tool has been released to help combat a beetle destroying valuable Eucalypt plantation forests in New Zealand, highlighting that the solutions can often be found in nature. Source: Timberbiz Forestry and wood products contributed NZ$6.6 billion in 2022 to the economy. Much of this is from radiata pine, but a small yet important part of New Zealand’s diversified forestry industry are Eucalypts. Eucalypts are highly valued for pulp and paper, with additional benefits in farm forestry, as well as a growing resource for naturally durable wood. The most common species, Eucalyptus nitens, packs a particularly weighty plantation punch by supporting the primary export industry. This fast-growing hardwood species’ short-fibre pulp has valuable characteristics which help create rigid cardboard packaging, which the export industry, particularly fresh produce, relies on to store and ship products around the world. Yet these small but mighty plantation forests have been under attack since the introduction of the Eucalyptus tortoise beetle (Paropsis charybdis) from Australia more than 100 years ago. The beetles cause serious damage, feeding on foliage and significantly reducing tree growth. The cumulative effect can also cause trees to die completely. Scientists have unleashed a torrent of revenge upon this pest starting as far back as the 1950s but haven’t managed to eradicate it or fully prevent the damage it causes. Recently, however, there has been a breakthrough with the introduction of a biological control agent into New Zealand from Tasmania, Australia to control the larvae of the Eucalyptus tortoise beetle – in the form of a small wasp. A natural predator of the beetle, this parasitoid wasp (Eadya daenerys – and yes, this particular sub species was lovingly named by a Game of Thrones enthusiast, after the mother of dragons) was released into Eucalyptus plantation forests in the Central North Island and Southland. Turns out they have proven much more challenging to rear than the beetle they attack. The team attached leaves with beetle larvae to Eucalypt trees after the larvae was already parasitised by the wasp in Scion’s laboratory. Parasitoids live most of their lives attached to, or inside, a single host. In this case, adult Eadya wasps lay eggs inside larvae of the Eucalyptus tortoise beetle. The parasitoid larvae feed within the host beetle larvae for about 15 days. They then emerge, killing the host, and pupate (grow) out of sight within holes in the soil, where they spin themselves into a silken cocoon. After hibernating for 10 months, the adult wasp hatches and the whole process begins again. A significant amount of testing and re-testing was undertaken before the Environmental Protection Authority agreed the wasp poses a minimal risk to New Zealand’s native or beneficial beetles. There’s also no risk to people, as the Eadya wasps don’t sting or develop colonies like German wasps, for example. Scion senior entomologist Dr Toni Withers has been working on stopping this destructive beetle for the past 25 years. “It’s not an easy beetle to overcome because there aren’t many natural predators in New Zealand and the adult beetles are very robust, meaning they’re prolific breeders and hard to kill.” Eucalyptus tortoise beetles produce two generations a year, meaning numbers grow at an alarming rate. Both larvae and adult beetles eat large amounts of young eucalypt leaves for many months of the year, causing widespread havoc. Management of the beetle to-date has largely been through aerial spraying. But industry has been committed to finding sustainable alternatives. Scion, along with industry partners Oji Fibre Solutions and Southwood Exports, have been working alongside the Ministry for Primary Industries to co-fund this Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures project. “This is another weapon in our armoury, adding to what’s already been established,” Withers says. “Biocontrols can be risky, but the cost benefits when it works is huge – 100 to one. And when it works, it should work forever.” The Eadya wasp was first discovered as a potential biocontrol agent 12 years ago in Tasmania. Scion has worked closely with the University of Tasmania, as well as other specialists from around the world, to understand the wasp down to a molecular level. Some of this work resulted in describing four different species of the wasp genus, previously unknown. Withers says the support from industry has been huge. “There’s been a real drive from industry to push the science forward and it’s been amazing to get the support we have.” Oji Fibre Solutions group manager Environment and External Relations Philip Millichamp says the company has a strong history working alongside Scion. “Scion is a key partner for us, particularly when it comes to innovation efforts around sustainability and creatinga more circular bioeconomy. “Eucalypts create high-value products, and we can’t easily change the species of tree in our mix, as they are important to the characteristics of the products we make. “We hope the release of the wasp will make a difference. It won’t be an overnight fix, so in the meantime we are continuing to look at other environmentally friendly options, which includes working with Scion on more benign pesticides and growing beetle-resistant Eucalyptus varieties.” This summer, scientists will not only release a second wave of wasps and infected larvae, they will also revisit previous release sites to try and find any visible signs of the wasps. But Withers says it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. To date, three quarters of all the attempted forestry pest biocontrol projects in New Zealand have succeeded in establishing a natural enemy to provide biocontrol.

The Green Triangle’s timber plantation companies continue to invest in additional aerial fire-fighting capacity in the region to protect its plantation estate, the broader community and the natural environment this fire season. Source: Timberbiz The Green Triangle Fire Alliance (GTFA) operated a Squirrel helicopter from the Casterton airfield for the last two fire seasons and has contracted a larger Bell helicopter, with a greater water carrying capacity, for the next three fire seasons. The helicopter has been contracted through the Victorian Government, and forms part of the Victorian aerial fleet. The GTFA’s nine forest grower member companies are providing funding for it to be positioned in the region. GTFA General Manager Anthony Walsh said the helicopter’s 1250 litre bucket could draw water from a variety of sources close to the fire line. GTFA members have also invested in floating collar tanks that supply water to the helicopter in areas where is limited surface water. “This helicopter is highly complementary to the fixed wing fire bombers that operate in the region.” Mr Walsh said. “While the fixed wing bombers carry a greater load, the advantage of a helicopter is that it can find water in close proximity to a fire which enables very short turnaround times. “Other aircraft may leave the region to attend fires elsewhere across Victoria and South Australia, but this helicopter will remain at its Casterton base for the 14-week service period until March 2024.” Mr Walsh said that while the helicopter has been contracted through the Victorian Government, arrangements are in place for it to operate in South Australia as well. The helicopter extends the industry’s extensive investment in fire management which amounts to $15 million per year. The Green Triangle plantation industry collectively has 100 fire appliances with 300 trained fire fighters available, ready to rapidly respond to fires throughout the fire season. “This helicopter provides a further layer of support to our Forest Industry Brigades that work tirelessly over the summer months to not only defend our forest estate, but to protect our broader communities,” Mr Walsh said.

Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman has welcomed the Federal Court’s Decision to uphold a Regional Forest Agreement in New South Wales as did Forest and Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) and the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA). Source: Timberbiz “Commonsense has prevailed … native forestry can have a strong future in Australia,” Dr Freeman said. “Forest managers, growers, scientists and workers will breathe a sigh of relief that the challenge by the North East Forest Alliance to the Regional Forest Agreement covering North Coast NSW native timber harvesting operations has been dismissed. “Our Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) time and time again have proven to be a successful way of sustainably managing Australia’s forests for all their values, and the Federal Court has confirmed this today. “In public native forests that are available for timber harvesting, our RFAs have protections in place for conservation and heritage. This adaptable multi-layered approach ensures key forest types and biodiversity are managed and conserved across the landscape. “The findings of the Federal Court … confirms that RFAs achieve what they set out to do, with Justice Perry confirming the Court’s view that the RFAs provide an alternative mechanism through which the objectives of the national environmental laws can be achieved through a rigorous framework agreed by State and the Federal governments. “It is clear, RFAs strike the right balance between the sustainable harvesting of timber and providing rigorous environmental protections. “Our forestry sector, its workers, families and communities that depend on it, can now move on with certainty in their future. “Importantly, Australia’s entire forestry sector can keep on doing what it does best; sustainably managing our forests for their environmental, social, cultural and economic values.” AFPA CEO James Jooste said that the decision was a vindication that sustainable native forestry operations in NSW are well governed by the federal-state regulatory framework, Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) NSW CEO James Jooste said. “The Federal Court decision is a vindication for the sector and the contribution it makes to the economy, environment, communities and society in NSW, Australia and internationally. It’s also a message to activists that the RFA framework stands, and the native forestry sector has a right to operate without their irresponsible legal meddling in the daily lives of timber workers and their families. “The decision is also a major win for the climate, easing cost of living pressures and sovereign capability with so many renewable, sustainable and essential products created by the NSW native forestry sector. “I call on the Minns Government to continue recognising the importance of native forestry to the state and to work with us as plans progress for a Great Koala National Park on North Coast. Without the sector, we face a future of more timber and wood fibre imports from countries without Australia’s high regulatory standards, fewer quality job opportunities in our regions, increased cost of living and a stalled progression on emissions reduction. “The industry will now continue to get on with the job it’s there to do.” Forest and Wood Communities Australia said in a statement that the decision of the Australian Federal Court – throwing out a case brought forward by extremist “environmental” group North East Forest Alliance (NEFA), was a welcome victory for timber communities all over New South Wales. In making the ruling, Federal Court judge in charge – Justice Perry, noted that RFAs “are an alternative mechanism to deliver the EPBC requirements through the states” and that “whatever happens after the judgement will be a political decision, not a legal one”. FWCA Executive Officer Mick Harrington said that anti-rural and anti-forestry tendencies of groups like NEFA are now plainly in the view of everyday Australians with the Regional Forestry Agreement, a cornerstone of Australia’s forestry management framework recently reaffirmed as part of a sustainable sector that provides a renewable resource for all Australians to utilise – from firewood to benchtops alongside products like guitars and furniture – we can do it all with timber right here in Australia. “Certainty is paramount for the prosperity of our communities, families and businesses. The Federal Courts recognition of the ongoing validity of the Regional Forestry Agreement provides the stability necessary for our industry to thrive for generations to come,” Mr Harrington said. “Hopefully this decision signals to NEFA-esque extremist anti-everything activist types that not only is community sentiment on our side but that legally upheld RFAs are, in effect long term plans for the sustainability and conservation of Australia’s native forests that are a part of the world-class regulatory and legislative framework that we operate within.” Mr Harrington said that the  judgement’s significance goes beyond legal matters, it radiates through the very fibre of our communities allowing greater confidence from our business community, which often means greater employment opportunities and increased local investment in our hard-working local timber towns. This is not just a victory for our communities and the sustainable native timber sector but for the broader Australian society that values sustainable practices. Mr Harrington said that this was a welcome blow to extremist ideologs that seek to weaken our families, our forests and our future.

Australia’s forestry and timber industry breathed a collective sigh of relief after the decision of the Australian Federal Court to reject a challenge to the validity of the Intergovernmental North East Regional Forestry Agreement (NERFA). The Court examined the agreements that were made in 2000 and extended for 20 years in 2018. Source: Timberbiz The Court confirmed that the technical requirements for extending the RFA were met. The case was brought by the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) against the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of NSW with its lawyers arguing that the RFA should not have been renewed without assessment and approval under federal environment laws. The decision handed down by Federal Court Justice Melissa Perry was that the technical requirements for extending the RFA were met but the Court was unable to assess the evidence of the impact caused by native forest logging and that such matters were wholly political. The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) argued the Commonwealth was required to assess environmental values and principles of ecologically sustainable management when it was renewed but failed to do so. The EDO stated that these included impacts on endangered species, climate change and old growth forests. “A regional forest agreement provides an alternative mechanism by which the objects of the (federal) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act can be achieved by way of an intergovernmental agreement,” Justice Perry said. “As such, the question of whether or not to enter into or vary an intergovernmental agreement of this nature is essentially a political one, the most of which are matters for the government parties and not the courts to determine.” Therefore the agreement handed the responsibility for matters of national environment significance to NSW. NSW’s native hardwood forestry industry is worth $1.8 billion to the economy and employs 9,000 people, more than half of them in the state’s north-east in communities built on the sector. For generations they have provided a sustainable industry which selectively harvests forests for timber and fibre and manufactures the resource into high grade construction timber, decking, furniture and other products. Of the 20 million hectares of NSW forests less than one third of 1% is harvested every year. The three million hectares of public forest on the north coast supplies three quarters of the State’s hardwood. Following the decision NSW Premier Chris Minns said that the forestry industry in NSW had a future, but he also noted that his government planned to explore the next steps for the industry in conjunction with stakeholders. Timber NSW chair Andrew Hurford said that this Federal Court decision paved the way for those serious about ecological sustainable forest management and a sustainable timber industry.

Australia, along with 16 other countries, has committed to the “Initiative for Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood” at COP28 in Dubai. The pledge is that: “Recognising that wood from sustainably managed forests provides climate solutions within the construction sector, we commit to, by 2030, advancing policies and approaches that support low carbon construction and increase the use of wood from sustainably managed forests in the built environment. Such policies and approaches will reduce GHG emissions and increase stored carbon.” While this is an eminently sensible policy that is consistent with IPCC views on the importance of sustainable forest production in carbon sequestration, Australia’s commitment is something of a hollow gesture. How will Australia support this initiative with insufficient forest resources to service even the present demand? The WA and Victorian government have recently banned the production of timber from native forests and other states are under pressure to do the same. These decisions have been done for purely political reasons hiding behind spurious assertions such as maintaining carbon stocks, reduced growth rate due to climate change or the need to protect wildlife, none of which has been substantiated with scientific evidence. These decisions are completely at odds with the intent of the pledge that the Commonwealth has committed to. Both the WA and Victorian governments have committed to the establishment of plantations to replace native forest production knowing full well that they cannot do so for two to three decades into the future and that softwood cannot replace hardwood for many of its uses. The WA government has promised $35M per year for 10 years to plant 33,000 ha of mostly pine plantations. However, with limited availability of suitable land, sky rocketing land prices, opposition from some Shires and expected losses from wildfire (10,000 ha in last 12 years), no-one expects this figure to be reached. In any event, it will not produce in time to alleviate the looming timber supply shortage in WA. The same situation is likely in Victoria. With the withdrawal of native forest harvesting and a “too little, too late” plantation program, WA and probably most of Australia will be in no position to contribute to the Greening Construction pledge. Despite the high-sounding aspirations agreed to by Commonwealth and State Forestry Ministers as recently as July 2023 to: increasing resource security and domestic supply volumes; expanding the production of timber and wood products; expanding forestry’s contribution to climate change mitigation; expanding timber industry workforce opportunities and capacity; and continued sustainable management of forests. None of these statements bears any relation to the actions taken in WA and Victoria where the exact opposite has been done. “Green” timber construction, like the much-lauded mass engineered timber building ‘Boola Katitjin’ at Murdoch University in Perth, will continue to rely on imported timber resources. However, with the world demand for wood forecast to increase from 200% to 400% by 2050, supplies in Australia in the future will be more limited, at a substantially higher price and at the expense of other less well-managed forests. Despite the fact that Australia is the 7th most forested country and has 10 times the area of forest per head of population than the world average, we still import $7B of wood products from other countries’ forests. Australia’s commitment to “greening construction” is a meaningless pledge if it can only be done with other countries’ timber resources while sitting back smugly believing we are saving the planet by the unjustified reservation of our remaining multiple use native forests. Jack Bradshaw is a retired forester from the south-west of Western Australia. He worked for the Department of Conservation and Land Management and its predecessor, the Forests Department of Western Australia, before becoming a consultant in native forest management and silviculture.

Another court case was decided this week that threatened to crush the forestry industry, the timber industry and a raft of other industries that rely on its viability but this one came out in favour of the industry and whether the environmentalists understand it, it has come out in their favour as well. As we know hardwood timber is necessary and its necessity will not diminish if we no longer harvest it in Australia. We still need it for a great many things including power poles, wharf timbers, high quality architectural features and it is increasing being used in mass timber construction. If we don’t source it from Australian forests, we will source it elsewhere. Other countries are not as careful with their harvesting and regeneration efforts and that often passes unseen in the community. Much of the hardwood industry’s work is either misunderstood or not understood at all by the general community and the loud cries of the environmental groups drown out the commonsense dialogue of forestry. As AFCA General Manager Tim Lester points out the Regional Forest Agreements between the Commonwealth and States support the protection of environmental assets while allowing for this sustainable industry to operate. “The Federal Court has confirmed that RFAs provide an alternative pathway for delivering environmental protection of forests and biodiversity rather than creating a regulatory void,” he said. “The Regional Forest Agreements are based on striking the balance between environment responsibilities and the needs of our society and community. “RFAs improve management of the forest and therefore biodiversity and forest health by creating the space for a well-regulated, efficient and effective industry that optimises forest functioning, the protection of high value environmental assets and productivity now and for future generations. “As an industry we provide a win-win solution that manages and maintains forest landscapes, enables biodiversity to flourish and provides the best integrated climate and emissions solution available today. “This industry is also incredibly for creating sustainable and high-quality jobs in rural and regional areas, supports local economies and is quite literally helping to build the nation.”  

UPM Plywood is involved in innovative projects to explore the properties and applications of materials together with universities. Of the two Aalto University collaborative projects, the outdoor art piece Quantum Moss represents a slightly unusual collaboration due to its scientific-artistic origins, while the 20×4 Twist project explores the properties of plywood in an atypical structure. Source: Timberbiz The 20×4 Twist exhibition and research was inspired by an interdisciplinary course for architecture students and designers to design structures that would achieve lightness, adaptability, re-assemblability and demountability, inspired by the quest for zero emissions in construction. The above themes were explored in the course’s final exhibition Zero Gravity in 2019. Later, some students from the Department of Architecture started to explore the relationship between flexible plywood, architectural geometry, structural behaviour and aesthetics. “We were contacted and thought that our products, material knowledge and calculation skills could be useful for further research,” said Simo Koponen, Senior Researcher in Product and Material Development at UPM Plywood. The exhibition and research, called 20×4 Twist, are part of a doctoral thesis. Plywood elements were used to create different architectural spaces, such as frames and sponge-like structures, which can be used as structures for different exhibitions. These self-supporting plywood structures used shapes bent from 6.5-millimetre WISA Birch birch plywood, joined together by punching holes in the plywood and using a type of rivet or other fasteners. Their light weight and demountability allow the structures to be stored and reused. Both the structure and its recyclability are seen as having the potential to reduce material consumption. UPM Plywood provided plywood for the study, and Koponen contributed to the development of the calculation methods, including the calculation of bending elongations. “Due to its lightness and strength, plywood is also an excellent material for this type of construction. We gained valuable insight into how plywood performs in a new type of demanding structure,” said Koponen, summing up the collaboration. UPM Plywood’s expertise and material know-how were also used in the Quantum Moss cloud artwork. The work depicting quantum phenomena won an art competition at Aalto University. The plywood work was installed near the Aalto University metro entrance in Otaniemi in autumn 2023. Quantum Moss, the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration, is a pergola-like structure that provides a resting place for campus users and at the same time a habitat for campus wildlife. Designed by Aalto University student Noora Archer and researcher Laura Piispanen, the outdoor artwork is made of 50 mm thick spruce plywood. Its formal language is based on a numerical simulation of the probability distribution of a quantum mechanical particle’s position in time and combines quantum technology research and wood construction. According to Sami Uuksulainen, Director, Product Management & Development at UPM Plywood, the interdisciplinary concept of the work attracted the interest of the plywood community. They helped with strength calculations, material engineering and procurement, and consulting on machining, among other things. “Our role in the making of this work of art combining design and quantum mechanics was mainly technical. However, interdisciplinary projects like this also feed our innovative spirit. New knowledge and learning can potentially lead to new projects and research,” said Uuksulainen.

Poland’s new government has announced a halt to planned logging in what it says are some of the country’s most valuable forests. The previous government, which ruled from 2015 until last month, often faced criticism for overseeing an increase in logging. Source: Notes From Poland “We are moving from words to actions,” said climate and environment minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska. “We have decided to issue the first decision to limit and suspend logging of the most valuable forest areas in Poland. It’s time to move saws out of parts of Polish forests.” The logging restrictions will be introduced for six months in ten designated areas, including parts of northeast Poland, the south eastern Bieszczady mountains, the Tricity Landscape Park on the Baltic coast, and around Wrocław, Poland’s third largest city. The climate ministry says the decision was to protect forests of particular value, such as those used by cities with large numbers of residents, those linked to health resorts and those with particular “historical and cultural value”. One example of the latter is the Augustów forests in the Podlaskie province, which are essential for the continuation of traditional beekeeping – a practice added in 2020 to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The ministry noted that forests surrounding large cities such as Wrocław and Białystok help increase water retention and thereby prevent flooding. The limita-tions will also help increase conservation efforts in areas that are part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network. Deputy minister Mikołaj Dorożała said that the new restrictions would reduce planned logging by between 20% and 30%. Before Monday’s announcement, Hennig-Kloska held meetings with local politicians, NGOs, scientists and residents from around Białowieża forest in northeast Poland. She announced plans to create a special “constitution” aimed at protect-ing one of the last remaining parts of Europe’s primeval forests. “We are working on a systemic solution that will include more areas and which will be consulted with representatives of the State Forests [the state forestry agency], local authorities and local communities,” said the minister. The former Law and Justice (PiS) government often faced criticism from environmentalists over its increase in logging, especially in Białowieża. Last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland’s forestry law does not comply with the country’s obligations under an EU director to protect natural habitats. The new ruling coalition, which took power last month, has pledged to protect and improve Poland’s natural environment, including by creating more national parks.

More than 660,000 hectares of forests and grasslands have been planted since China’s latest desertification control efforts were launched in the second half of 2023, as part of China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. Source: CGTN The Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, launched in 1978, consists of forestation in northwest, north and northeast China, in order to hold back the aftermath of sandstorms and soil erosion. The eight-phase project, covering 13 provincial-level regions, is expected to be completed by 2050. The desertification control efforts target three regions. Two are areas in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, including 15 million hectares of desertified land alongside the Yellow River and the sandy areas on Hunshandake and Horqin. The other spans from the Hexi Corridor in central China to the Taklimakan Desert in the west. Over the past few days, project workers have been flying drones capable of spraying grass seeds across the land as part of the Inner Mongolia Elion Kubuqi Photovoltaic Desert Control project, which aims to use solar panels to help support newly introduced plant life. The seeds are set to sprout during the spring. “The drones are equipped with ejection devices. The devices work like a slingshot. They can eject seeds into the desert. Seeds have a high survival rate when planted in this way compared to manual planting,” said He Pengfei, project manager of the photovoltaic desert control project. A total of 23 projects are underway in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, accounting for a major part of the work for sandy areas of Hunshandake and Horqin. In the areas spanning the Hexi Corridor to the Taklimakan Desert, 14 key projects are being implemented. “We have deployed 35 key projects in 328 county-level administrative districts in the three regions covered by the latest desertification control efforts, and have planned and deployed 33 key projects in areas in close proximity to the three regions. So far, the desert control work has started smoothly in the three regions,” said Yan Jian, deputy di-rector of the Department of Ecological Protection and Restoration un-der the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Forestry Australia has opened applications for its 2024 Mentoring Program and these will close midnight 4 February 2024. The program is free for Forestry Australia members. A mentoring relationship is a powerful development experience that can deliver personal and professional benefits for both mentors and mentees. Source: Timberbiz Forestry Australia’s mentoring program runs for nine months and is designed to establish connections within the forestry sector by pairing experienced forestry professionals with those who are seeking to evolve their career. Engagement and connection can be in person or online. The program has been developed around a framework and tool kit of resources which will support participants to ensure effective and sustainable knowledge transfer, skill acquisition and maintaining momentum for all participants. Some of the key themes explored are: Establishing Goals Time Management for Life Building Networks and Professional Connections Values and Ethics in Business Mentors and mentees are encouraged to invest one hour a month at minimum to meet plus additional time to prepare for each meeting including goal setting, pre-reading, planning and reflection activities. Anyone can benefit from the offerings of the Forestry Australia Mentoring Program, at any age and at any stage of their career. 2024 KEY DATES Mentoring e-Introductions & Program Launch 29 February 2024 Mentor & Mentee Information Sessions 6 & 7 March 2024 2024 Program Close | ‘It’s a Wrap’ Zoom 5 December 2024 To apply click here. A mentoring program handbook is available from Forestry Australia with more information about the program. For more information or to view the mentoring program handbook click here.

Adrian Cowland remembers fondly as a child travelling distances with his dad, searching for billet wood for the Cooee brick yards, as well as collecting firewood for locals. This was his first foray into the forest industry. Source: Timberbiz Fast forward some years, and Mr Cowland now supports those embarking on work or training in the forest and timber sectors through his role with Area Connect, which aims to support Tasmanians by transporting people to their place of work or training if access to transport is limited or unavailable. Mr Cowland said the transport model is unique in that it assists job seekers and trainees to participate in the workforce by removing the barrier to transport. “This means we can transport people to their place of work, job interviews, trade training centres and vocational training programs, and other recognised work-ready opportunities,” he said. “We provide short term assistance until they can work through how they can get to and from work or training themselves.” Mr Cowland observed that although the Tasmanian forest industry is slowly diversifying, it is still marked by a largely aging workforce. “From my many years close to the industry and now indirectly engaged through my role with Area Connect, I would think the biggest issue for the industry would be finding young people to take on a role in this area as a career,” he said. “A lot of this comes down to the remote area of the work and again the issue of transport to these areas. “In my role with Area Connect we transport clients of all ages, many of whom may miss out on employment due to the cost and available of transport in rural areas. This assistance can make a huge difference to their lives.” Area Connect has a fleet of vehicles located in Burnie, Devonport/Ulverstone, Glenorchy, Launceston, St Helens/Bicheno, the Huon Valley, Sorell, and Brighton/Derwent Valley. It can also tap into the fleet owned and managed by Community Transport Services Tasmania (CTST). “The service is available to people who need to get to work or training if they don’t have access to private or public transport. People can use our service to get to work, interviews and appointments with employment providers, training at a trade training centre or other vocational training program,” Mr Cowand said. “Importantly, we don’t compete with or duplicate existing transport services. A coordinator will discuss a person’s need and develop a free and personalised transport plan with them. This could include transport to their place of work or training or linking in with existing public transport available to them.” Mr Cowland said that although the service is available regionally, Area Connect is a shared ride service and at peak periods (early morning and end of the day) they occasionally need to collect people up earlier than they would like, to ensure everyone makes it to their jobs on time. “This is a challenge sometimes, but our team work hard on making this happen, and delivering on a service that meets the needs of all our clients,” he said. “We all appreciate the fear of stepping outside our comfort zone and for some of these clients one of their biggest fears is the barrier to transport. It is rewarding to be able to help them and remove this barrier.” Both businesses and individuals can contact Area Connect to discuss their transport needs. Further information on Area Connect can be found on the website www.areaconnect.org.au

FSC is kicking off the new year with a series of webinars to support the European Union’s Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR). This is a modular set of solutions that will support FSC certificate holders in EUDR compliance efforts. Source: Timberbiz The series of webinars will kick off with a public webinar on 18 January 2024: EUDR – One Year to Implementation. This webinar will provide FSC stakeholders with a broad overview of the efforts FSC has undertaken in relation to the EU’s Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR). The public webinar will introduce FSC’s offer, one of which is the development of requirements for the FSC Regulatory Module: a voluntary module that complements existing FSC certification requirements to support EUDR compliance. It presents additional forest management, chain of custody and controlled wood requirements for organisations looking to use their FSC certification to support their efforts to demonstrate compliance with EUDR. The FSC Regulatory Module sets the framework and requirements to: introduce a due diligence system to support EUDR compliance, including information collection, risk assessment and risk mitigation, gather and transmit precise information on the origin of products (geolocation and time of production), offer a traceability system that goes beyond the current FSC chain of custody, and adds further assurance that only deforestation-free material enters into an FSC chain of custody value chain that needs to be EUDR compliant. To further tighten the FSC system to deliver deforestation-free products, FSC is also bringing forward implementation of the changes required as part of FSC’s new Policy to Address Conversion, which was voted for by members in 2022. These changes will, for now, be introduced in the form of Advice Notes to the existing certification system, which will ultimately ensure products from any sort of conversion that is possible, even in exceptional circumstances as outlined in the Policy to Address Conversion, do not enter the system as an “FSC Claim.” The final piece of the normative alignment towards EUDR is the FSC Risk Assessments. These are the next generation of FSC’s existing risk assessment framework for controlled wood sourcing. We envisage that these will become an invaluable tool for companies to assess and mitigate risks efficiently. The public consultation for the above normative introductions/changes will be open from 1 February to 1 March 2024. EUDR One Year to Implementation an update of EUDR and FSC’s work around this important policy initiative: Thursday, 18 January 2024, 19:00-21:00 AEDT Thursday, 18 January 2024, 02:00-04:00 AEDT Webinar on FSC Regulatory Module, systemic changes and FSC Risk Assessments Tuesday, 13 February 2024: 19:00 AEDT Monday, 19 February 2024: 02:00 AEDT Webinar on FSC Regulatory Module and systemic changes Wednesday, 14 February 2024: 19:00 AEDT Wednesday, 14 February 2024: 02:00 AEDT Webinar on FSC Risk Assessments Tuesday, 20 February 2024, 19:00 AEDT Tuesday, 20 February 2024, 02:00 AEDT As well as the incoming normative changes, FSC’s alignment towards EUDR will be strongly supported by the upgrades that FSC is working on to improve its certification infrastructure towards digitisation and improved data management and access. These include the FSC Forest Atlas and FSC Blockchain.  All of these digital and normative solutions come together to create a comprehensive package called FSC EUDR Aligned. More information here.  

New house building approvals decreased by 1.9% in the month of November according to HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon. The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its monthly building approvals data for November 2023 for detached houses and multi-units covering all states and territories. Source: Timberbiz “The fall in this month’s figures sees approvals in the three months to November lower by 8.0% compared to the same period in the previous year,” Mr Reardon said. “The low volume of building approvals throughout 2023 will see the volume of homes commencing construction continue to slow this year. “Other leading indicators of activity in the housing market, such as new home sales and housing finance data, are also consistent with their confirmation of this projected slowdown. “The rise in the cash rate is the primary cause of this slowdown in approvals. “A continued fall in the number of new homes approved indicates a slow start to the Australian government’s ambition to build 1.2 million new homes in five years starting mid-2024.” In seasonally adjusted terms, decreases in house approvals in the three months to November compared with the same period in the previous year were led by New South Wales (-16.0%), Victoria (-7.2%), South Australia (-6.6%) and Queensland (-6.0%). Western Australia saw a 5.4% increase over the same period. In original terms, de-tached approvals in the same period fell in the Northern Territory (-30.5%) and in Tasmania (-21.9%), while the Australian Capital Territory saw an increase (+3.0%).

The next World Conference on Timber Engineering will be held in Brisbane in 2025. The WCTE is the world’s leading scientific forum for the presentation of the latest technical and architectural solutions and innovations in timber construction. It is considered the most prestigious international event in the field of timber technology for construction, timber structures, and the design of timber architecture. Source: Timberbiz WCTE 2023 was held in June in Oslo, Norway and attracted more than 850 delegates. WCTE 2025 will offer the Queensland and Australian industry an opportunity to showcase Australia’s research and development status and expertise in timber product design and durability. Additionally, it will serve as a significant platform for networking with internationally recognized research groups across various timber design and research fields. WCTE 2025 will also present as an opportunity to highlight the advances and carbon benefits of timber construction, particularly for Queensland Government Stakeholders as they plan the 2032 Olympic venues and athlete accommodation. Submissions are sought for both oral and poster presentations, which must address the principal conference theme of Advancing Timber for the Future Built Environment. The WCTE 2025 technical program will have a focus on the importance of research and development undertaken by the timber design and construction community in response to the increased demand from engineering and architectural firms, developers and investors, now emphasising timber engineering as a preferred solution for many projects. WCTE 2025 themes: Material Performance & Durability Sustainability and Timber in a Circular Economy Timber Engineering & Structural Performance Timber Architecture & Biophililc Design Education, Innovation & Challenges Exemplars & Construction Case Studies Abstract submissions are invited on the above themes in the focused areas of: Architectural Focus Engineering Focus Practitioner Focus The submission deadline is 30 April 2024. The University of Queensland, along with the support of the ARC Advance Timber Hub, will host the conference from 22 June 2025 to 26 June. More information about the conference here.

The beginning of 2024 marked the end of harvesting wood fibre from Victoria’s public forests but not the end of Victoria’s sustainable native hardwood industry. Source: Timberbiz “The Victorian Government’s decision last May created chaos with some businesses across the native hardwood supply chain being forced to either close permanently or diversify their business,” said Ms Deb Kerr, CEO of the Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA). “However, a small number of processors will continue processing the native timbers that consumers love, sourcing this wood from private sources in Victoria, from other states and from overseas. “Hardwood timbers are highly valued by consumers where appearance or durability are important purchase considerations, be it stairs, decks, windows, furniture, or external applications,” continued Ms Kerr. “While the Government has ceased native forestry, Victoria’s forests still need to be managed for the health and resilience of the forest. “The continued decline of Victoria’s native plants and animals is commensurate with the increase in the National Park estate – clearly this speaks volumes that the current management approaches do not work. “The Victorian Government should use the start of this new era to radically change the way Victoria’s forests are managed for the next century – after all native forestry can no longer be blamed for the state of Victoria’s forest flora and fauna.”